Star Trek’s first Mr. Sulu, George Takei, is not happy that the character he originated will be gay in the latest film of the successful science fiction series.
“I’m delighted that there’s a gay character,” Takei tells The Hollywood Reporter. “Unfortunately, it’s a twisting of Gene [Roddenberry]’s creation, to which he put in so much thought. I think it’s really unfortunate.”
Takei, who came out in 2005 and is an LGBT activist, says Roddenberry was a “strong supporter of LGBT equality,” but states he had conceived every aspect of the characters in the Star Trek canon and had always envisioned Mr. Sulu as heterosexual.
“I said, ‘This movie is going to be coming out on the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, the 50th anniversary of paying tribute to Gene Roddenberry, the man whose vision it was carried us through half a century. Honor him and create a new character. I urged them,” Takei said.
Takei’s comments came a day after John Cho, the actor who portrays Mr. Sulu in the Star Trek Beyond, told an Australian newspaper that his character in the film would be gay.
